VIR's Swing for the Kids 2016 teed off

Today, former deputy prime minister Vu Khoan, former ministers of planning and investment Vo Hong Phuc and Bui Quang Vinh, chairwoman of BRG Group Nguyen Thi Nga, and general director of Samsung Electronics Vietnam Han Myoung Sup teed off first to start the tournament at Legend Hill Golf Resort in Hanoi’s Soc Son district, about 30 kilometres from the centre of Hanoi. Members of diplomatic corps, government agencies and business communities also got into swinging.

Swing for the Kids 2016 tournament is welcomed 150 domestic and international golfers. According to VIR’s editor-in-chief Le Trong Minh, the tournament has raised VND1.5 billion ($67,300) to give scholarships to poor students from around Vietnam and help improve the facilities of many schools around the country.

"Swing for the Kids this year attracts a large amount of golfers that doubles the capacity of our Legend Hill golf course. It shows that the tournament is developing fast and widely. We have been coorganiser with VIR in this meaningful event for 4 years while previously we were diamond and Golden Sponsor. We will continue to join and promote VIR's Swing for the Kids closer and closer in the future," said Madame Nguyen Thi Nga, chairwoman of BRG group.

The organisers also gave the Vietnam Learning Promotion Association VND400 million ($18,000) from the above sum. Kicked-off by VIR in coordination with the Ministry of Planning and Investment’s Foreign Investment Agency in June 2007, Swing for the Kids has seen the eager participation of over 1,000 golfers, including senior government officials, diplomats and businesspeople.

Kicked-off by VIR in coordination with the Ministry of Planning and Investment’s Foreign Investment Agency in June 2007, Swing for the Kids has seen the eager participation of over 1,000 golfers, including senior government officials, diplomats and businesspeople.

The VIR's charity golf tournament has received the high appreciations from state officials. Former deputy Prime Minister Vu Khoan said "over the past 10 years, Swing for the Kids has organized to support effectively poor children. This is very meaningful social activity for golfers. Golf is good for our health but it's more important that players can share their concerns on other underprivileged people. The ministry of planning and investment and Vietnam Investment Review newspaper have a good ideal to organize a charity golf tournament to help poor students around the country. Each tournament, as fact, can raise billions Dong to contribute a small part for the needy people. This is a good way to educate golfers to think and to share with others surrounding them, especially the poor children."

During the last nine years, the tournament has given over 12,000 scholarships with the total value of VND10.5 billion ($470,000) to poor but excellent students in Vietnam including about 17 full scholarships of VND10 million ($463) each. In particular, over 2,000 scholarships of totally about VND1.1 billion ($49,000) were given out in 2015. The scholarships enabled poor students to continue their education and become contributing members of society.

“The tournament this year is an important landmark in VIR’s history of a quarter of the century. Its success is going to be a meaningful present to celebrate VIR’s 25th anniversary on September 27, 2016,” said Nguyen Anh Tuan, chief organiser of the tournament, and VIR’s former editor-in-chief.